Passively aggressive VS agressively passive.

Canada

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Cuba

Hasten to battle, men of Bayamo,

For the homeland looks proudly to you.

You do not fear a glorious death,

Because to die for the country is to live.


To live in chains

Is to live in dishonour and ignominy.

Hear the clarion call,

Hasten, brave ones, to battle!

The Canadian and Cuban national anthems have a lot in common. From my reading, I found that both national anthems were war based, but their approaches couldn’t be more different. When reading the Cuban national anthem, I couldn’t help but notice how aggressive it was. Off the bat the opening lines command for battle. Where death and self sacrifice is glorious and rewarded. A life in chains is dishonor for country and citizens alike. In order to further promote this, the lines in the anthem command that we “citizen or reader” do not fear death, for it is glorious, because to die for country is to truly live. The love for one’s country isn’t a choice. It is commanded. Prurely duty, there is no thought, personal feeling or objectivity when it comes to the matter. As a citizen, it was expected. I think this totalitarian approach has a lot to do with the Cuban history of communim. It’s not about the individual, but the good of the whole. The speaker in the anthem seems to be someone of authority or power. Someone militant who has the authority to engage in war. This is also a subliminal message to the people of Cuba to allow themselves to be led by an authority figure rather than take things into their own hands or thinking. Although similar, Canada takes a totally different approach.

The Canadian national anthem is much more passive, although it also demands love of country of it’s citizens. This anthem speaks of pride in one’s country and specifically speaks of maintaining the freedom which it has obtained. It seems that the reason for war in Canada is for the sake of defending it’s own freedom. To me it seems to communicate to the reader that the love of one’s country is duty but also organically, a true love. Like the love of a child or family. something that must be protected. It is not communicated from an authority perspective. The operative words throughout the whole anthem is “We”. The anthem comes form the perspective of the people rather than the leader. The people feel duty to their country and they command it from one another. This is a reflection of Canada’s democratic/ constitutional monarchy. The power of the people to choose. In the end, The similarities are that both promote defense of one’s country, command respect, loyalty and seem to be military in approach.